CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ButJacobmighthavebeenthinkingofRomeofarchitectureofjurisprudenceashesatundertheplanetreeinHydePark. TheomnibusstoppedoutsideCharingCrossandbehinditwerecloggedomnibuses,vans,motor-cars,foraprocessionwithbannerswaspassingdownWhitehall,andelderlypeoplewerestifflydescendingfrombetweenthepawsoftheslipperylions,wheretheyhadbeentestifyingtotheirfaith,singinglustily,raisingtheireyesfromtheirmusictolookintothesky,andstilltheireyeswereontheskyastheymarchedbehindthegoldlettersoftheircreed. Thetrafficstopped,andthesun,nolongersprayedoutbythebreeze,becamealmosttoohot.Buttheprocessionpassedthebannersglittered—farawaydownWhitehallthetrafficwasreleasedlurchedonspuntoasmoothcontinuousuproarswervingroundthecurveofCockspurStreetandsweepingpastGovernmentofficesandequestrianstatuesdownWhitehalltothepricklyspires,thetetheredgreyfleetofmasonry,andthelargewhiteclockofWestminster. FivestrokesBigBenintonedNelsonreceivedthesalute.ThewiresoftheAdmiraltyshiveredwithsomefar-awaycommunication.AvoicekeptremarkingthatPrimeMinistersandViceroysspokeintheReichstagenteredLahoresaidthattheEmperortravelledinMilantheyriotedsaidtherewererumoursinViennasaidthattheAmbassadoratConstantinoplehadaudiencewiththeSultanthefleetwasatGibraltar.Thevoicecontinued,imprintingonthefacesoftheclerksinWhitehall(TimothyDurrantwasoneofthem)somethingofitsowninexorablegravity,astheylistened,deciphered,wrotedown.Papersaccumulated,inscribedwiththeutterancesofKaisers,thestatisticsofricefields,thegrowlingofhundredsofwork-people,plottingseditioninbackstreets,orgatheringintheCalcuttabazaars,ormusteringtheirforcesintheuplandsofAlbania,wherethehillsaresand-coloured,andboneslieunburied. Thevoicespokeplainlyinthesquarequietroomwithheavytables,whereoneelderlymanmadenotesonthemarginoftypewrittensheets,hissilver-toppedumbrellaleaningagainstthebookcase. Hishead—bald,red-veined,hollow-looking—representedalltheheadsinthebuilding.Hishead,withtheamiablepaleeyes,carriedtheburdenofknowledgeacrossthestreetlaiditbeforehiscolleagues,whocameequallyburdenedandthenthesixteengentlemen,liftingtheirpensorturningperhapsratherwearilyintheirchairs,decreedthatthecourseofhistoryshouldshapeitselfthiswayorthatway,beingmanfullydetermined,astheirfacesshowed,toimposesomecoherencyuponRajahsandKaisersandthemutteringinbazaars,thesecretgatherings,plainlyvisibleinWhitehall,ofkiltedpeasantsinAlbanianuplandstocontrolthecourseofevents. PittandChatham,BurkeandGladstonelookedfromsidetosidewithfixedmarbleeyesandanairofimmortalquiescencewhichperhapsthelivingmayhaveenvied,theairbeingfullofwhistlingandconcussions,astheprocessionwithitsbannerspasseddownWhitehall.Moreover,someweretroubledwithdyspepsiaonehadatthatverymomentcrackedtheglassofhisspectaclesanotherspokeinGlasgowto-morrowaltogethertheylookedtoored,fat,paleorlean,tobedealing,asthemarbleheadshaddealt,withthecourseofhistory. TimmyDurrantinhislittleroomintheAdmiralty,goingtoconsultaBluebook,stoppedforamomentbythewindowandobservedtheplacardtiedroundthelamp-post. MissThomas,oneofthetypists,saidtoherfriendthatiftheCabinetwasgoingtositmuchlongersheshouldmissherboyoutsidetheGaiety. TimmyDurrant,returningwithhisBluebookunderhisarm,noticedalittleknotofpeopleatthestreetcornerconglomeratedasthoughoneofthemknewsomethingandtheothers,pressingroundhim,lookedup,lookeddown,lookedalongthestreet.Whatwasitthatheknew? Timothy,placingtheBluebookbeforehim,studiedapapersentroundbytheTreasuryforinformation.Mr.Crawley,hisfellow-clerk,impaledaletteronaskewer. JacobrosefromhischairinHydePark,torehistickettopieces,andwalkedaway. "Suchasunset,"wroteMrs.FlandersinherlettertoArcheratSingapore."Onecouldn'tmakeupone'smindtocomeindoors,"she